Video game announcements begin ahead of E3 trade show

The first new video games of this year’s E3 trade show have been announced, with popular football game Fifa 19 introducing the Champions League for the first time.

This year’s instalment of the game will feature the competition as a fully licensed mode for the first time, following the tournament’s split with rival football game Pro Evolution Soccer.

Despite E3 not opening until Tuesday, the days before the leading games trade show are filled with preview events where the industry’s biggest names announce their upcoming titles.

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The three-day trade show is expected to be attended by more than 60,000 people.

Fifa developer Electronic Arts (EA) also used their showcase event on Saturday to announce a comeback for popular military strategy game Command & Conquer, with a new mobile game called Rivals previewed at the event.

On Sunday, Xbox maker Microsoft will hold its own showcase, where the gaming giant could confirm rumoured new titles in its popular Gears of War or Halo series.

On the introduction of the Champions League to Fifa 19, EA Sports executive producer Aaron McHardy said: “The UEFA Champions League has been one of the most requested features from players for over a decade, and we’re so excited for one of the world’s biggest competitions to join ‘The World’s Game’ in Fifa 19.

“We are elevating the experience this year in so many ways, from integrating UEFA Champions League content across the game, to adding a variety of new features that bring more control to gameplay.”

The trade show will also feature appearances from other long-running and popular series, with new details on the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Shadow of the Tomb Raider expected during the show.

Fellow gaming industry heavyweights Sony and Nintendo will make their own gaming announcements before the convention’s doors open, with reports suggesting Nintendo may confirm current gaming craze Fortnite is to be launched on the Japanese firm’s Switch console.